Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sabbath, May 19, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-05-19-2018

This is devotional thought number 33 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
The gospel of Christ became vividly clear while I was watching a television show. This program always has a Christ focused resolution and that is why I watch it every week. In this particular episode, there was a boy who enrolled in an elementary school mid-session. What made this boy stand out was the fact that he was wheelchair bound. In an attempt to fit into the crowd, he had a habit of playing practical jokes on people. He would enlist the help of his peers to do it and find some way to make it look as if they were the culprits. At the moment they would be caught, he would appear and confess to the pranks, knowing that He would get preferential treatment because of his disability.

Close to the end of the episode, he went too far, and two of his favorite cohorts decided to pull out before the plan was complete. Once the prank was complete, and another of his peers was given a bum rap, the first two buys decided that they needed to do something. They went into the office of the authorities, and confessed that they were originally in on the prank, but then pulled out. As they were confessing, the culprit wheeled into the room and confessed to the crime yet again. This time he did not do it to manipulate anyone; he assumed full responsibility for what he had done. This is where it gets good. The two boys that did not go through with the plan told the authorities that they wanted to receive the same punishment that the other boy was to receive because they did not stop him.

The ending of the story almost brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. He stepped in at a time when the justice of God was going to be dealt out on sinners, and gave Himself instead. Even though the disabled boy did not go free as we do when we have faith in Christ, the selflessness of the other two was still inspirational to me. Jesus became sin in our stead in order for us to become righteous in the sight of God. I praise Him for that! Choose today to meditate on His selfless sacrifice.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)